Three of the main considerations when designing a fastener for a brassiere are strength, ease-of-use, and profile. The fastener must be sufficiently strong that it can withstand applied tensile forces, it must be easy for the user to manipulate, particularly if the fastener is located at the rear of the brassiere, and it preferably will have a low profile so that it is not highly visible through over-garments.
One such fastener that satisfies many of these criteria is described in the applicant's own co-pending UK Patent Application No. GB1507925.4 (UK Patent Application Publication No. GB2538109). The fastener described therein is particularly easy to manipulate, even by those with manual dexterity problems, and has a relatively low profile so that it is practically invisible under most over-garments. However, there is one shortcoming of the fastener described in GB1507925.4 in that when constructed with a low profile, the fastener is typically only able to withstand tensile forces of the order of 15 lbs to 20 lbs (6.80 kgs to 9.07 kgs). Although still useful, this limitation constrains the potential applications of the fastener.
For example, such a fastener is not particularly suited to sports brassieres (commonly referred to as “sports bras”) or to brassieres of larger sizes, as these garments are typically subjected to higher tensile forces. Increased applied force could result in the brassiere inadvertently opening, leading to inconvenience, discomfort and/or embarrassment of the wearer.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a fastener that addresses at least some of the above-identified problems. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fastener that is strong, easy to use, and that has a relatively low profile. It is a further still object of the present invention to provide a fastener for a garment that offers a useful choice to the consumer.